Ceramic honeycomb structures are used in vehicular exhaust systems to reduce pollutants. Such structures are generally formed by extrusion and comprise a network of interconnected web walls that form a matrix of elongated, gas-conducting cells which may be square, octagonal or hexagonal in shape, for example. The network of web walls is surrounded by a cylindrical outer skin that is integrally connected to the outer edges of the web walls to form a cylindrical structure having opposing inlet and outlet endfaces for receiving and expelling exhaust gases through the matrix of cells.
Such ceramic honeycomb structures need to be inspected to ensure they meet specifications for cell shape, cell size, web-wall thickness, skin integrity, etc., and to ensure they are free of defects. However, given the large numbers of cells (typically, many thousands) and the diameter of such structures (typically 3.5″ to 7.5″), it usually takes many hours to inspect a single ceramic honeycomb structure using conventional inspection methods and systems.
Consequently, improved inspection systems and methods that can quickly and efficiently inspecting ceramic honeycomb structures are needed.